when stars fall
by goodeveningmoonlight
Summary: I kiss him, running my hand along his spine. He moans in pleasure and then I move my gun, pressing it to his head. When I pull the trigger, he falls, a shocked expression on his face, his brown eyes wide, and then he collapses, a puddle of scarlet spreading around him. He was my sixth target. My seventh is a man named Percy Jackson.
1. Chapter 1

I kiss him, angling my head perfectly and running my hand along his spine. He moans in delight and I pull the trigger,

He falls to the ground, a scarlet puddle bleeding out around him.

I run out into the night, talking into my watch. "Done. The threat has been eliminated, but it won't be long before someone starts to ask. I need to be extracted, now."

"Agent Chase, we've sent an extraction package. Get to the highest ground you can and wait." Her voice is cool and collected and calm, unlike the mess of tight nerves and heavy guilt and settling dread I am.

Even so, I'm able to get a running start and leap up, grabbing onto the fire escape and pulling myself onto the metal platform. I scale the rest of the ladders and end up on the roof of an apartment building.

There's a taller building to my right, but I can't make that jump. Car horns honk below me and I take a deep breath. There are multiple handholds and footholds, and several window ledges. If I can't make the jump, I can at least climb.

I jump off the edge of the building and grab onto the cement window ledge, feeling rough rock scrape my fingers. Grunting, I pull myself up, legs kicking wildly, and reach out for a spot in the wall where a brick used to be.

Soon I'm on top of the building, surveying the city below me. People walk fast across the road, along the sidewalk. Teenage girls giggle and flip their hair and window-shop. Cars weave through the heavy traffic.

All normal people, living normal lives.

Like the man I killed. He might've been passing information to some sort of enemy country about us, but he was doing it for his daughter. His one-year-old daughter, who now has no father.

Because of me.

I swallow and turn away, pulling my jacket tighter around myself. Helicopter blades whir above me and I clamp my hands around my ears.

Grit and gravel and dust plume up as the helicopter lands. The door slides open and I step in, smoothing my short skirt and extending my bare legs. When I'm sent on a mission, I'm dressed as sexily as possible.

"Miss Chase," the pilot greets through the loudspeaker. "Welcome."

"Of course." I nod primly and fold my hands across my lap, ignoring the cold red liquid staining my index finger.

I've already killed more people than I can count.

This is just another one.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Another stark white folder glared at me, pale against the mahogany table. Octavian Militis, our leader, smiles coldly at me. "You did well on your assignment. I'd like you to take on another...stronger...enemy. Unless you're too tired from your last one, of course."

He had a way of talking that makes my skin crawl, and his challenge is silent but deadly. _If you're not up for it, you lose your ranking and your mother dies._

"Of course." I swallow again, but my mouth is too dry and nothing goes down my throat. "I'll do it. May I open the file?"

"You'll have three days to prepare." Octavian's eyes flash dangerously. "Don't let me down."

I nod and pick up the folder, clutching it tightly to my chest and walking out of the room. My hips sway, an unconscious result of all these years seducing men to kill them, and I hurry to my room.

The last file is still sitting on my bed. I open it tenderly, carefully, and take out the picture. He has - had - brown hair, a square jaw, dark circles under his eyes (probably from worrying about his child) and his name is listed under the picture.

 _Blair Belayn._

I shut my eyes tightly and let a tear escape. I killed him without knowing his name.

Carefully, I tape his photo up on the wall and add a sticky note there, scrawling his name as neatly as I can manage it. He deserves a spot on my wall, even if I am the one who killed him.

A dozen other pictures are spread across my wall. There's a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, a man with a chiseled jaw and large dark eyes, a man with big ears and curly hair, a woman (that was a very interesting mission) with pale skin and long eyelashes.

All gone, because of me.

I bite back a lump in my throat and open the new file almost reverently, setting it on my desk. A tan-skinned man with dark hair and green eyes smirks at me, his eyes almost dancing with mischief.

This is who I have to kill?

The others were easier. They were nervous and forgettable (unless you killed them; then their faces are permanently etched in your memory) and they kissed me only once. This man looks like he would kiss me multiple times before I learned his name.

His name is Perseus Jackson.

I stifle a snort. Who names their child _Perseus,_ of all things?

But then my urge to laugh fades, because I realize that in a week, this man will be dead, and _I_ will be the one who killed him, and I will be the one who gave grief to his family and friends, and I will be the one who remembers him night after night, and I will be the one who had nightmares of him reaching out to me, blood gushing from his chest.

I know this because it's what happened with everyone I killed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

My three days are up. Dressed in a form-fitting, short red dress and high black boots, my blonde hair up in a bun, I strut into the nightclub, winking at the bouncer, who lets me in without checking my ID.

I feel way too uncomfortable in here. I can see several people who are obviously teenagers with fake IDs, and other men who look depressed and are ordering drink after drink. My target, Perseus Jackson, is not among them.

He's sulking in the corner while a girl with pale skin, spiky dark hair, and bright blue is trying to get him onto the dance floor.

I walk over to them, making sure that my hips sway, and then I say, "Would you care to dance?" My voice is high and breathy and sexy, a voice I've been practicing over and over until I got it right.

He raises an eyebrow. "Your name, first?"

I bat my eyelashes and reply, "Sophia Schultz."

"Well, Sophia, I really hope you're not just trying to get me to dance 'cause you want a sex toy for the night and I look like the most appealing," Perseus winks. "But I'd rather you come to my house."

I bite my lip. Killing him in his own house is too much for me. But he's not going to accept anything else, so I nod and allow him to bring me out of club.

But I do make sure to keep my hand on his spine and walk as close to him as I can without practically melding into him. The dark-haired girl has stayed in the club, and Perseus's phone buzzes with a text message. He takes a look and I read over his shoulder.

 _Gonna stay in the club, have fun with your new date._

Perseus rolls his eyes and slides his phone back into his pocket. "Sorry, that's my cousin. Oh, here's my car." The car makes a clicking sound and the headlights flash. I walk around it and open the door, sitting in the passenger seat.

He's already in the driver's seat, his hand on the gear stick. I smile lustily at him and put my hand on his, waiting for his own smile and his hand gripping mine. But instead, he gives me a sarcastic look and pulls the stick, removing his hand and then pressing the gas.

Huh. He'll be harder to seduce than any of the other men.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

We pull up at a modest apartment building in a little over fifteen minutes. He opens his door and walks around to mine, opening it before I have the chance to and graciously helping me out.

I feel myself blush and I avert my gaze to the ground. None of the other men were as chivalrous. Then again, they were drunk out of their wits, so I shouldn't judge them too quickly.

"Well, Ms. Sophia, I'm just going to warn you that if you were here for a one-night stand, I had a movie marathon in mind," Perseus says, the side of his mouth pulling up in a little half-smirk. "So if you wanna go back to the club and look for a completely drunk guy who won't remember you tomorrow, I'll bring you back to the club."

Honestly, a movie marathon sounds better to me. The real me. But Sophia Schultz isn't the real me.

And then again, he is my target. So I smile back, a real, genuine smile, and say, "A movie marathon sounds better. And do you have anything I could change into?"

After the last sentence slips through my lips, I press my hand to my mouth. I've broken my golden rule, and that's to never ask them for anything.

But Perseus simply nods and leads me into the apartment building. We step into the elevator and Perseus presses the button for the 5th floor. When the elevator stops, he jogs down the hall, laughing under his breath, and gestures for me to hurry up and do the same.

I find myself giggling too as we race down the hall. My boots are high-heeled, and definitely not the best for running in, but when I trip Percy catches me, chuckling, and props me back up. "Don't fall again, Sophia."

When I look into his eyes, I feel nothing but a deep, dark, heavy dread. I'll have to kill this wonderful human being in a matter of hours.

But he continues laughing and stops in front of a door marked 528. He slips a key into the slot and then we're inside. His apartment is modest and warm, like a kindly old grandmother. There's a giant flatscreen TV opposite a sofa.

When I continue into the apartment and see the four-poster bed, it's surprising that I don't immediately try and get him to come with me onto the bed. Instead I think that the sofa is so much better and so much comfier.

The sound of popcorn popping echoes through the house and I wander into the kitchen to find Perseus with a big plastic green bowl and several packages of unpopped popcorn. He notices me and says, "Hey, would you pour some soda or water or whatever you want? Blue Cherry Coke for me please."

I wrinkle my nose. What's Blue Cherry Coke? But when I open the refrigerator, I see a bottle of shining blue liquid and a bottle of Sprite, and two bottles of Coke.

Normally, I would drink water, so I wouldn't feel too guilty about killing them later (I learned my lesson with the first mission, who offered me his mother's old antique necklace. I accepted), but something about Perseus makes me feel _comfortable,_ and I pour myself a cup of Sprite and him a cup of the Blue Cherry Coke.

The microwave beeps and Percy puts in the second bag of popcorn, emptying the first into the green bowl. "Hey Sophia, would you keep an eye on this popcorn and come over when the bowl's full? I'll be looking for movies." I nod and Percy grins a lopsided grin at me before leaving. I hear the TV power on.

It's a minute of bored waiting before the microwave beeps again. I actually have to figure out how this microwave opens (mine at home had a handle, but his is the kind with the button that opens it) and then I pour the popcorn into the bowl, but not without singing several of my fingers.

Cursing under my breath, I put another bag of popcorn in the microwave and hesitate. What time did he set it for?

"Hey what time did you set it for?" I holler. Perseus replies, "Two minutes! And by the way, do you know my name?"

I mentally flip through the last hour. No, he demanded my name but never told me his. "No! What is it?"

"Oh my gods, have you been mentally calling me the guy from the club this whole time? I'm Percy!" he calls. "Percy Jackson!"

I want to tell him that I'm not Sophia Schultz, I'm Annabeth Chase. But telling the targets our full name is against the rules, and I've only survived this long by following the rules.

So I simply type in a minute and thirty seconds and watch the popcorn spin around and around.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Around ten minutes later, we're both on the couch, a bowl of popcorn between us, a coffee table pulled up so we can get to our drinks without too much hassle. Percy flips through movies on demand and when I see Harry Potter, I cry, "That one!"

He laughs and presses a button on the remote. "All 7 Harry Potters? I tried this a few weeks ago and only got through four."

"We'll get through them all!" I say adamantly.

He laughs again and the movie starts to play. I snuggle into the couch and reach over for some popcorn.

He reaches over at the same time. Our hands touch and we both blush and look down, like two hormone-y teenagers who have crushes on each other but can't admit it. Of course, I don't have a crush on him. His blushing is simply making me blush.

Right?

Whatever the reason, Percy forgets about his hand on mine and is enraptured in the letters flying all around the Dursley's home. I'm about to pull my hand away, but he clasps it and uses his other hand to stuff a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

I feel myself smile, a soft, small smile that hasn't graced my lips in years, and I also feel my dread harden into a giant lump of guilt, settling in my stomach.

Because even though I promised to finish all 7 Harry Potter's, Percy won't be able to survive one.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He falls asleep around the middle of the fifth movie, muttering sleepily and resting his head on the back of the sofa. His hand is still holding mine and I gently pull mine away.

He twitches and mumbles something I can't make out.

With a swallow, I pull my gun out of my tight waist and and aim it at his head.

My finger tightens on the trigger.

But I can't.

My gun begins to tremble as I squeeze my eyes shut and look away. My finger gets even tighter around the trigger, and I know that one last push and it'll all be over. For him and for me.

He rolls over, snoring, as the fifth Harry Potter plays on. Now it's Harry's vision of Sirius that fills the screen.

I can't.

I have to.

I can't.

I _HAVE TO._

ican'tbutihaveto.

do i?

My thoughts are jumbled and worried. If Percy isn't dead in two days, Octavian kills my mother and me. If he isn't dead in two days, he lives his life like he was supposed to. If he isn't dead in two days, I don't get to live mine.

I slip the gun back into the waistband of my dress. Maybe tomorrow. All I know is that for now, while he sleeps and while I cram the last of the popcorn in my mouth, I simply can't pull the trigger.

It'll be easier tomorrow.

It has to be.


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up to a green-eyed man shaking me and grinning. His smile is lopsided, endearing, and I have to blink and shake myself to remember that he is my target.

He is my target, and he will die today.

I draw in a deep, shaky breath and smile back at him. "Morning, sunshine."

"Wow, Flirty," he laughs. "You know, I actually thought you were starting to not be so...play-boy." He tilts his head, staring up at the ceiling as if looking for the right word. "Is that the right word?"

"Maybe flirtatious?" I suggest, swinging my legs off the couch and standing up. "Playgirl? Temptress? Insanely awesome?"

"Oh, now you're just making me feel like a crap friend," he groans. "Am I your friend? Or enemy? Like, do you see me as a potential sex toy?"

I'm utterly taken aback by his question. "Uh..." He is my friend to me, not my sex toy, not my one-night stand, not my target, not someone who will be stained by blood. "Yeah, we can be friends."

He exhales. "Great. I was feeling kind of pervy watching you sleep, so I woke you up! You're welcome."

"Ugghhhhh," I groan. "Thanks _so much."_

"I already said you're welcome!" he chirps, darting into the kitchen and coming out with a granola bar. "Breakfast! And then I have to clean up..." He frowns at the popcorn crumbs all over the sofa and the plastic bowl tipped on its side. Popcorn kernels spill out of it.

"I'll help," I offer immediately, and I get down on my knees, scooping together some popcorn crumbs and kernels. Percy rights the bowl and I dump my handful of food into the bowl.

"Oh, it's okay," he says, but his tone tells me that he's incredibly grateful and didn't think me capable of volunteering to help. For some reason, that makes me feel both insulted and kind of relieved. If he thinks I'm bitchy, then I might be able to kill him without too much guilt and too many nightmares.

(But I already know that the nightmares will haunt me no matter what.)

We finish up cleaning the carpet and I pick up the bowl, ambling over to the trash can and dumping the bowl in, whacking it a few times to make sure all the popcorn gets in and none is stuck by dried butter or whatever. A few loose kernels plop in and I hear the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

"Thanks!" Percy shouts over the portable vacuum cleaner he's using on the carpet. "Could you wash the bowl?" I nod, making sure it's visible to him, and then head back into the kitchen.

It occurs to me that I'm not flaunting my long legs and letting (fake) lust infiltrate my eyes. It also occurs to me that I'm not walking sexily like I should be, and I'm also not trying to kiss him at every chance I get.

I should be, but I'm not.

I think of my mother, her gray eyes desperate, and then I harden my heart. Percy has to die. For my mother. For me. He's a martyr, he's a criminal, he's -

I stop short. What is his crime? Why does Octavian want him dead?

"Hey, Percy," I call. It surprises me at how easily his name rolls off my tongue. "Do you have, like, a criminal record? Or are you like a secret James Bond spy?"

His voice is cold when he replies. "No. I'm completely normal, and you must be too. Right?" He sounds almost worried, and I say, "Yeah, normal. Just wondering, 'cause..." I trail off for a second, wildly thinking up and discarding lies. "'Cause my last boyfriend was a criminal and...er, ended up..." In jail? In juvie? No, I'm too old for that. Dead? "He ended up...breaking up with me and getting...er, arrested on the side of the road because it was his..." Third DUI? Fifth DUI? Forty-second DUI? "Fifth DUI."

"Wow," Percy says. The vacuum cleaner shuts off and he walks in. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He winks at me and strolls past, kneeling past to plug the vacuum cleaner back in. "God, this thing is crap."

I swallow. "So, you're completely normal?"

His eyes harden like ice. "Yes."

I don't ask again

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I stride into Octavian's office and plunk Percy's file down on the desk. Octavian gives me an amused look. "Yes?"

"What's his crime?" I demand. "Like, what did he do that's so bad? Why do - Why does he deserve to die?"

Octavian sighs and opens the file, skimming the page. "Wrong file."

My heart leaps. I don't have to kill Percy!

"Here." He reaches down to his desk and takes out a different file, almost an inch thick. He slides it across the table to me and I lift the stiff manila cover. A familiar face beams up at me and my heart sinks when I take in the green eyes.

"Now, you asked me what his crime is." Octavian stands up, clasping his hands behind his back. "He hasn't done anything." He comes over to me, looking over my shoulder t the file. "He _is_ the crime."

"I meant for you to tell me in English."

"Perseus was part of Project Olympus, a scientific experiment launched by a small team of genetic scientists twenty years ago. He was a normal baby for about two weeks after his parents...well, you know what I mean." Octavian sticks his pointer finger into his fist and smirks. "But his father was a part of Project Olympus. He wasn't a scientist, but he desperately wanted his baby boy to be superior in every way."

I swallow. Octavian pauses as if contemplating what to say next.

"The target was genetically tampered with, increasing his speed, strength, intelligence, and giving him a few...unnatural abilities."

A hard ball of nerves forms in my stomach. "Like what?"

"Hydrokinesis." Seeing my confused expression, Octavian elaborates. "The ability to control water. And cryokinesis - same thing, but with ice."

"Oh."

"The target's mental stability is questionable at best. Several pictures have been taken of him and a dark-haired girl." Octavian flips a few pages into the file and shows me a grainy photo. I recognize Percy's dark hair and another girl. From the angle the picture is taken from, I can't see if she's the same blue-eyed girl from the club.

Percy's crouched in a ball near the corner, hands over his head. The girl seems to be trying to reason with him.

There is a cocoon of clear liquid surrounding Percy.

He is not normal.

"Project Olympus was shut down by the government five years ago," Octavian continues. "Perseus and three other experiments were released." Anger stirs up in me when I hear Octavian say 'experiments.' The disdain in his voice makes my blood boil.

"And then what?" I whisper.

"And then nothing. They vanished. For three years, completely off the radar,". Octavian makes a 'poof' gesture with his hands. "But then there was _this_." He slams a photo down on the table. Huge water droplets obscure about half of the picture, but I can see Percy, fists clenched. He seems to be in the middle of yelling something. Water swirls around him. Screaming civilians scramble for the exit.

"This was in Los Angeles, six months ago," Octavian says.

"But...but we're in New York," I say. "How..."

"He moved, obviously," Octavian answers. "He had to. We tracked him all the way here. He is a threat to humanity and has to be exterminated. See that you do it well. I'll extend your time. He is a dangerous target, after all. Four months."

I have until February 15th.

My hands automatically move to pick up the file and my legs walk me to the door even though I want to stay and ask more about Project Olympus and Percy and mental stability and everything. I step across the threshold and close the door.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

An hour later, I knock on Piper's door. She answers immediately, ushering me in and sitting me down on her bed.

"I have to tell you this. Ohmygod. I got this new target and his name is Jason and Octavian told me about a secret project and then suddenly bam he throws this file down and half of it is scientific gibberish I don't even understand! Like, I doubt even you know what...a-mee-no-cen-tee-sis is."

"Amniocentesis," I say absently. "But look at this." I drop my own file onto her bed. "Project Olympus."

"That's what he said!"

"Exactly. What is this supposed to be? Why - why do we have to kill these guys?"

"Octavian said he's a threat to humanity." Piper flips open her file and shows me a picture of a regal-looking blond man, with chiseled cheekbones and arched eyebrows. His eyes look just like the girl who was in the club. "But I ask you, how can a man be _this_ hot be a threat to humanity? This is humanity at its finest!"

I open my own file and Piper stops drooling over her target. "Oh wow, he's hot too. Don't tell me he's a threat to humanity."

"I already met him," I say slowly. "He-he's really nice. Not like my other targets. He invited me to dinner tonight."

"You can't kill someone like that!" She sounds so indignant.

"No kidding. But I can't _not_ kill him. My mom - me - "

"I guess you're right," Piper says. "But...I mean, he's going to be in a college dorm tonight. Room 43 of Dorm 2 in Thorn. That's one of the yards. And apparently, his roommate is a guy called Nico, and Nico's going to be in some class tonight. Mythology or whatever."

"What's your point here?"

"They're just trying to have a normal life!" Piper explodes. "Why do we have the right to take that away from them? Is - are their abilities or whatever their fault? From the way Octavian explained it I thought their parents were the ones to blame!"

"Yeah."

"Is that it? Just 'yeah?'" Piper demands, still fired up from her rousing speech.

"Well...we can't do anything about it. Your dad...Octavian will kill him."

"Not too big of a loss anyway," Piper mutters. The fire has gone from her. "But...I've been wondering lately. Do we have to - no. Is he worth all the lives I've taken?"

"His life and yours," I remind her. "But yeah. I guess they're not. Still, I can't just let my mom die."

"It's not your choice to make. Is his life worth more than yours?"

"M -maybe," I stammer. "I mean - I've killed so many, and he's so innocent, and it's not his fault that some mad scientist decided to - I don't know, make him magical or whatever crap they did. And he's genuinely a good person, at least that's what I think."

"Is his life worth more than your life and your mom's combined?"

"He has - he actually has a future, Piper. A future where he doesn't walk into nightclubs every other day and shoot people in the head while kissing them! My mom and I...she'll spend the rest of her life in a jail cell and I'll spend the rest of mine killing until I'm not sexy enough anymore, and then they're probably going to shoot _me_ in the head! Of course his life is worth more!"

"Then make your choice," Piper says.

 **Sorry about not updating for like a month. I was really busy and I had like no free time...anyways, hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

I spot them immediately. They're the only two mostly-adults throwing fries at each other in a back booth. Her eyes are just as vivid as I remember them, and she cocks her arm back to throw a handful of fries at him.

"Sophia!" he yells, waving his arms desperately. Club Girl blinks and lowers her arm, stuffing the fries into her mouth. Percy's eyes lock onto mine and I smile weakly. Club Girl turns her attention to me and leans over, whispering something to Percy.

This time, he shoves a burger in her face.

Percy slides out of the booth, ignoring Club Girl's choking and sputtering. "Sorry you had to see my crazy cousin and me fighting. She's even more insane when you get to know her, trust me."

This time a genuine grin lights up my face. "Oh, I don't doubt that." Club Girl's blinking little bits of hamburger bun out of her eyes now. "So, McDonald's?"

He shrugs. "I mean, I figured it's a nice place. Plus my cousin's obsessed with Happy Meals." I tilt my head at Club Girl, who is now marching over with a murderous expression. "Not her," he adds quickly. "My goth cousin."

"He is not _goth_!" Club Girl shoves Percy and he shoves back. "He...he prefers black!"

"Do you want to know the official definition of goth?" Percy mock-glares at her. "It's...uh...Sophia, help me out?"

"Siri," I say into my phone, "what's the official definition of goth?"

"Hello, Annabeth. Goth: a member of a Germanic people that invaded the Roman Empire from the east between the 3rd and 5th centuries. The eastern division, the Ostrogoths, founded a kingdom in Italy, while the Visigoths went on to found one in Spain. Would you like to hear the second definition?"

I burst out laughing. "So, your cousin's German?"

"Second definition," Club Girl orders. "Annabeth, was it?"

My laughing abruptly cuts off. "Uh, actually, Sophia. That's my little sister's name." I shrug. "She likes to play on my phone."

"How old is she?" Percy asks.

 _Think, Annabeth. Think. Is 8 believable? No. No, it's not._ "Uh, she's thirteen."

"Oh, cool." Club Girl grins at me. "I'm Thalia."

"The second definition of Goth is: a style of rock music derived from punk, typically with apocalyptic or mystical lyrics. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" Siri asks. Thalia scowls at my phone. "Tell Percy he's a jerk."

"There is no 'Percy' in your contacts."

Thalia smirks. "So you didn't get in her pants? I'm ashamed of you."

Percy turns bright red and a few mothers give Thalia disapproving looks. "I - we're not -"

"Is my little cuz losing his touch?" Thalia ruffles his hair and flounces back to our booth. "You better get his contact in your phone!"

I can't help the laugh that escapes me and Percy, whose cheeks have lit up like a Christmas light, tugs me back to the booth and plops a few fries in my hand. "So. Thalia, you are now going to go to the bathroom."

"Shut up." Before Thalia squirts ketchup at Percy (there are now approximately 5 angry mothers looking at us now), the door opens and three people walk in. There's a tall, chiseled blond that, for some reason, reminds me of Captain America, a dark-haired Italian with shadowed eyes, and Piper.

Piper?!

Her expression mirrors mine: surprise and worry and fear. Percy looks curiously between us. "Do you two know each other?"

I quickly school my expression into neutral indifference. "No," I lie. "She just looks a little bit like a friend from work."

Captain America plops down next to Thalia and ruffles her hair. "Long time no see! How've you been holding up with Seaweed Brain?"

"How about you with Grumpy Cat?" Thalia replies, nudging the dark-haired guy.

"So guys, this is Piper. Piper, these are my crazy friends-plus-sister. Percy, Thalia, and, um, Goldilocks." Captain America smiles apologetically at me.

"Coming from Captain America himself," I say. "At least Goldilocks didn't kill people."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Percy clenching the table harder. His knuckles are starting to turn white. Thalia whispers something in his ear and he relaxes slightly.

"Captain America is a superhero!" Blondie says, shooting Percy a worried look. "And Goldilocks was a thief!"

"How about we introduce ourselves instead of using ridiculous nicknames?" Thalia cuts in. "Captain America is Jason. Goldilocks is Sophia. All good?"

"And Grumpy Cat is Nico," Percy says, grinning.

"Shut up," Nico grumbles, elbowing him and grabbing a handful of them. At this point, there are fries all over the table. Jason reaches over Thalia and dips a few of his in ketchup. Thalia bats his arm away, scowling fondly.

Piper desperately catches my eye and mouths 'What the fuck?'

I shrug and continue watching the four of them. Percy has his arms around a half-eaten hamburger and some fries. Jason and Nico have teamed up on him and as I watch, Thalia swipes two fries and breaks one in half, offering it to Nico.

Piper's watching them too, and I see the same longing I feel mirrored in her eyes. They have such an easy friendship, and who do I have? A mom in jail and a bunch of nasty coworkers who're all trying to outdo one another in how many people they've killed. The only plus about my life right now is Piper.

"So, Jason..." Thalia begins. "Is Piper here your _date?"_ She draws out the last word and smiles suggestively at Piper, who turns bright red and sputters something unintelligible. Jason's eyes widen and he punches her. "Shut _up!"_

"Okay then. Nico? Any hot dates?" Thalia winks at him and Nico flushes. "Um. Maybe?"

"Oh my gods. You got a _date_?" Jason sounds skeptical.

"Wow, thanks for your confidence in me," Nico grumbles. "No need to sound so surprised. I kind-of-maybe got one? There's this cute barista at Starbucks and it's so fucking _unfair_. I mean, who the fuck looks like _this_ -" he takes out his phone and shows a picture to Thalia, who raises one eyebrow - " _and_ knows how to make an awesome coffee, _and_ can literally make me turn red the second he _looks at me_?"

"Percy," Thalia replies offhandedly. "Except he's not blond."

Nico flips her off. "You will so regret saying that."

"Bet I won't."

"Bet you will."

"You're a teddy bear."

"You're a demon sent from Hell."

"I second that," Jason agrees.

"I...third that?" Percy shrugs.

"This is so unfair!" Thalia complains. "Goldilocks and Featherhead. Back me up."

"Featherhead?" Piper says.

"You have feathers," Thalia points out. "In your hair. Would you rather be called Birdbrain?"

" _You're_ a birdbrain."

"Sophia then?"

"She's not _that_ bad," I say half heartedly. "Sometimes. Occasionally. She called my phone stupid."

"Oh my gooods," Thalia whines. "Is it Beat Up Thalia day or something?"

"Every day is Beat Up Thalia Day." Percy smirks.

"And I did not call your phone stupid," Thalia protests. "I called _Percy_ stupid. And a jerk. But I was defending Nico! It was for a good cause."

"If he wants to call me Goth then he can." Nico rolls his eyes. "As long as he doesn't try to make me wear eyeliner and sulk all day. Not a good cause."

Jason frowns. "You already sulk all day. No eyeliner, but still."

"Oh my gooooods," Thalia says again. "Fine. I'm gonna go home and watch Netflix and sulk."

"Maybe you should get a hot date," Piper suggests. "I know a few people. So, are you into guys or girls?"

"Um." This time, it's Thalia who turns red as the rest of us grin widely. "I'm ace, actually."

"What? You are?" Jason almost spits out the fry he's been chewing on. "How come you never told me?"

"It never came up!" Thalia protests. "And besides, you never told me your sexuality."

"Who even says 'sexuality' anymore?" Jason says. "They just ask 'Are you gay?'"

"Okay! Well then are you gay?" Thalia punches him in the arm.

"I'm straight! Oh my gods you're insufferable."

"Who even says 'insufferable' anymore?" Thalia mimics. "They just say, 'You're a fucking bastard.'"

Percy glances around at the mothers giving us dirty looks. "Maybe keep it down?"

"Right, right." Thalia looks around too, noticing the glares. "Sorry."

"So back to the original thing here." I dust my hands off, looking around. "Um...what was the original thing here?"

Thalia laughs. "I like you. There's never an original thing with gatherings like this. We just sit down, start talking, and watch the magic happen. How're you enjoying the magic so far?" She casually flings her arm around Jason, who bats it away. "Get _off_."

"Magical." Piper eyes Percy, who's trying to steal the ketchup from Nico and failing miserably. "Yes. Very."

This time Jason laughs, leaning comfortably into Thalia. "We're like a big happy family."

"Happy is questionable." Thalia leans slightly into Jason's side. Noticing Piper's crestfallen expression (she must be a good actor; Jason is her mission), Thalia shakes her head. "He's my little bro. And Percy's my cousin, so do what you want." She winks at me.

Piper's face lights up, even though I can visibly see she's trying to suppress it. (Her father is an actor, that has to be how she's so good. Jason is her mission, like Percy is mine). I chide myself. Why am I so distracted? Even if Percy is a genuinely good person and he deserves to live (more than I do at least) and he has a whole life in front of him(and I have nothing, all I have is a future of gunshots and crimson stains spreading across the floor and dead, glassy eyes, _haunting my dreams_ ), I still have to kill him.

(But really, I'm starting to doubt this)

"You okay?" Percy's noticed my doubtful (and probably pained too) expression. "If it's too crowded we can head back to someone's apartment."

"Hell yes." Thalia sits straight up. "I have some beer in my fridge and we can all get super drunk and play truth or dare and sooner or later _someone_ is running naked through the apartment building yelling about my little pony and I'm gonna get it on video and we can make a whole DVD and play it at their wedding."

Jason scoots away from her.

"That sounds...extreme." I frown.

"I have met my sister." Piper holds up a hand and Thalia slaps it, grinning diabolically.

Jason beams. "You want her? Ten bucks and an ice cream sundae and she's all yours."

Piper smiles, only a little seductively. "How about we share that ice cream sundae? Tomorrow at four? I know a great place."

The blond blinks, shocked. "You beat me to it."

"Enough date planning! Let's get to my apartment! This is going to be so awesome!" Thalia stands up, awkwardly climbing over a shocked Jason and pulling on a leather jacket. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Percy pulls his car into a parking spot as fast as possible. Thalia screeches into the one beside us, hopping off her motorcycle and tucking her helmet under her head. Percy kicks his door open and sprints after her, yelling, "Run, Sophia!" back at me.

I shove the door open with my shoulder and take off after him, my heels clacking on the asphalt. Behind me, Jason pulls up in his own car and graciously runs over to open Piper's door, but she whacks him in the shoulder when she pushes it open.

"No way in _hell_ am I paying for another night out." Nico dashes past me, snapping one hand in a little mock-salute. "See you in there, Goldilocks."

I grin and speed up, passing him and coming up next to Percy, who throws a door open and skids to a stop in front of the elevator. "Stairs or elevator?"

"Stairs!" I push the metal door open and bound up three at a time. "What floor?"

"3." Percy leaps up four stairs, grabbing the banister to swing his body around the curve and disappears. The door opens again behind me and I do the same thing, my foot whacking the wall.

"Come on!" Percy beckons for me to speed up and barges right through the doorway of an apartment. I run through the hallway and lean against the wall. "So...what was that all about?"

In the hallway, Nico shouts, "I'm gonna get _fifty_ shots, have fun paying for that loser!" and stumbles in, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Jason's gonna lose. He's way too chivalrous to let Piper get last."

Thalia frowns. "He can have extra beer tonight then."

Nico claps her shoulder. "Whatever you say, cuz."

"Hope you're rich!" Jason skids into the room, grabbing the door to stop his momentum, but Piper barrels straight into him before Jason steps foot in the room.

Jason tumbles backward and out of sight. A few seconds later, I hear a muffled 'shit' and he comes into view, rubbing his side. "Nico, if you get fifty shots I'm pouring every single one on your head."

"Beer!" Thalia sings, shoving two cans into Jason's hands and throwing one at me. I catch it awkwardly and take a sip. "Okay, to the couch! Truth or Dare is happening!" She flounces off and calls, "There's more beer in the fridge! Everyone drinks at least two cans! And if you're picky, I have some bottled too!"

I follow her, Percy beside me, and we end up in a room with a saggy old couch. Thalia perched on one arm and Percy sits next to her, patting the seat next to him for me.

A few hours later, nearly everyone is slurring their words. "Okaay," Jason says. "Piper, truuth or daaaare?"

"Dare!" Piper says brightly, popping open her fifth can of beer. "Sissies. Anna - Sophia, have some more!" She tosses a can to me and I miss, the can tumbling to the floor.

"Seven minutes in heaven!" Thalia cheers, slinging her arm around me. "I have a...theres a closet that way!" She waves her arm at pretty much everywhere around us and Jason beams. "Seven minutes in heaven!"

Soon after that, we ditch Truth or Dare and start Spin the Bottle. I kiss Piper, Jason twice, and Nico before Percy spins the bottle and it lands on me.

We blink and then crash into each other, his lips finding mine. Adrenaline buzzes through me, mixing with the alcohol in my veins.

When we break apart, Octavian is standing in the doorway, a small, glittering sneer curving his mouth up.


End file.
